1. Field of the Invention
This invention pertains generally to video coding, and more particularly to an adaptive preprocessing method using feature-extracted video maps.
2. Description of Related Art
Digital video technology is used in business, communication, education and entertainment, and from on-line video archives on the Internet to high-definition TV. The ability to communicate and store video, such as for mobile video, streaming video, video storage, video broadcast and video conferencing depends largely on the ability to encode the video with sufficient quality and at a sufficiently low bit rate for the desired application.
However, despite the significant advancements in video encoder design, improved coding apparatus and methods are fiercely sought after. Any enhancement(s) which promise to mitigate the tradeoff between bit rate and quality garner intense interest within the industry.
Accordingly, a need exists for enhanced coding apparatus and methods which increase video quality and/or reduce bit rate without introducing undue levels of processing overhead. These needs and others are met within the present invention which overcomes the deficiencies of previously developed coding apparatus and methods.